The effect of form and dimension on the management of the maxillary arch in unilateral cleft lip and palate conditions

The Effect of Infant Orthopedics on the Occlusion of the Deciduous Dentition in Children with Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (Dutchcleft)

Objective

Evaluation of the effect of infant orthopedics (IO) on the occlusion of the deciduous dentition in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).

Design

Prospective, two-arm, randomized, controlled clinical trial with three participating cleft palate centers (Dutchcleft).

Setting

Cleft Palate Centers of the University Medical Center Nijmegen, Academic Center of Dentistry Amsterdam, and Dijkzigt University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Patients

Children with complete UCLP (n = 54) were included.

Interventions

In a concealed allocation procedure, half of the patients was randomized to wear a plate till surgical closure of the soft palate (IO+), and the other half (IO−) did not have a plate.

Mean Outcome Measures

Dental arch relationships were assessed at 4 and 6 years of age with the 5-year-old index; the Huddart-score; and measurements of overjet, overbite, and sagittal occlusion.

Results

There were no significant differences found between the IO+ and IO− groups for the 5-year-old index; the Huddart-score; and overjet, overbite, and sagittal occlusion.

Conclusions

IO had no observable effect on the occlusion in the deciduous dentition at 4 and 6 years of age. Considering the occlusion only, there is no need to perform IO in children with UCLP.

Transverse dental arch relationship at 9 and 12 years in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with infant orthopedics: a randomized clinical trial (DUTCHCLEFT)

Objective

A long-term evaluation to assess the transverse dental arch relationships at 9 and 12 years of age in unilateral cleft lip and palate treated with or without infant orthopedics (IO). The hypothesis is that IO has no effect on the transverse dental arch relationship.

Material and methods

A prospective two-arm randomized controlled trial (DUTCHCLEFT) in three academic cleft palate centers (Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Fifty-four children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and no other malformations were enrolled in this evaluation. One group wore passive maxillary plates (IO+) during the first year of life, and the other group did not (IO−). Until the age of 1.5, all other interventions were the same. Hard palate was closed simultaneously with bone grafting according to protocol of all teams. Orthodontic treatment was performed when indicated. The transverse dental arch relationship was assessed on dental casts using the modified Huddart/Bodenham score to measure the maxillary arch constriction at 9 and 12 years of age.

Results

No significant differences were found between the IO+ and IO− groups. Differences between the centers increased from 9 to 12 years of age.

Conclusions

Transverse dental arch relationships at 9 and 12 years of age do not differ between children with UCLP treated with or without IO.

Clinical relevance

There is no orthodontic need to perform IO as applied in this study in children with UCLP.

Current status of presurgical infant orthopaedic treatment for cleft lip and palate patients: A critical review

Rehabilitation of cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients is a challenge for all the concerned members of the cleft team, and various treatment modalities have been attempted to obtain aesthetic results. Presurgical infant orthopaedics (PSIO) was introduced to reshape alveolar and nasal segments prior to surgical repair of cleft lip. However, literature reports lot of controversy regarding the use of PSIO in patients with CLP. Evaluation of long-term results of PSIO can provide scientific evidence on the efficacy and usefulness of PSIO in CLP patients. The aim was to assess the scientific evidence on the efficiency of PSIO appliances in patients with CLP and to critically analyse the current status of PSIO. A PubMed search was performed using the terms PSIO, presurgical nasoalveolar moulding and its long-term results and related articles were selected for the review. The documented studies report no beneficial effect of PSIO on maxillary arch dimensions, facial aesthetics and in the subsequent development of dentition and occlusion in CLP patients. Nasal moulding seems to be more beneficial and effective in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients with better long-term results.

Presurgical Orthopedics and Satisfaction in Motherhood: A Randomized Clinical Trial (dutchcleft)

Objective:

To study the effect of infant orthopedics on satisfaction in motherhood.

Design:

Prospective two-arm randomized controlled trial in parallel with three participating academic cleft palate centers. Treatment allocation was concealed and was performed by means of a computerized balanced allocation method.

Setting:

Cleft palate centers of Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Patients:

Two groups of infants with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and no other malformations.

Interventions:

Group IO+ (n  =  27) wore passive maxillary plates during the first year of life, group IO− (n  =  27) did not.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Mean satisfaction scores were obtained from completed questionnaires at 6, 24, and 58 weeks of age. A 4-point scale was used (1  =  very satisfactory to 4  =  very unsatisfactory).

Results:

The range of the mean scores for the individual items on the questionnaires for both groups ranged between 1.1 and 2.4. No differences were found between groups. Mothers appear to be satisfied in motherhood, least satisfied with the available time for themselves, and very satisfied with hugging and walking their babies. No differences were found between groups.

Conclusions:

Results from the present study show that infant orthopedics, with a passive plate during the first year of life, in children with a unilateral cleft lip and palate has no influence on the mothers’ satisfaction in motherhood.

Presurgical orthopaedic treatment of newborns with clefts – functional treatment with long-term effects

AIM

Presentation of an orthopaedic/orthodontic treatment protocol within the framework of complex rehabilitation of patients with clefts of lip, alveolus and palate. Presurgical orthopaedic treatment aims at reduction of cleft size by guiding growth and functional rehabilitation. Long-term results of maxillary development and occlusion at young adult age are reported.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

43 newborns with unilateral (19) or bilateral (24) clefts of lip, alveolus and palate were examined until their deciduous dentition was complete. In 29 patients a late follow-up was performed at age 17.3 years (mean). Maxillary dental casts were evaluated prior to and following presurgical orthopaedic treatment at the time the deciduous dentition was complete and at young adult age (2 to 5 years after termination of orthodontic treatment). Parameters were width of the alveolar and palatal cleft as well as width and length of the dental arch. In the adults occlusion was studied and the occlusal outcome was related to the therapeutical input.

RESULTS

Presurgical orthopaedic treatment reduced the cleft width by taking advantage of normal growth. At the age of 3 to 4 years the development of the upper dental arch was in line with that of non-cleft children.

CONCLUSION

Maxillary growth may be guided in almost physiological terms even in patients with a cleft of lip, alveolus and palate. Prerequisite is functional rehabilitation by means of orthopaedic treatment at age 1 to 12 months in terms of functional orthodontic therapy and a surgical protocol saving tissues with growth potential.

Palatal asymmetry in cleft palate subjects

In subjects with different types of cleft palate, palatal shape and symmetry were evaluated utilizing the moiré contourography technique. The sample consisted of 95 subjects with cleft palate and 68 controls. The differences between cleft and control subjects in the transverse and anteroposterior location of the highest point of the palate, palatal axis angle, and the palatal index were assessed by analysis of variance. Effects of cleft type, gender, developmental stage of the dentition, missing teeth, and eight skeletal and pharyngeal cephalometric variables on palatal shape and symmetry were assessed using multiple-regression analyses. In comparison with the noncleft individuals, the cleft palate subjects showed parallel but clearly more remarkable asymmetry in palatal shape and position of the first maxillary molars. The anteroposterior location of the deepest point in the palate was more posterior, and the palate was relatively shallower. The severity of the cleft type affected both the anteroposterior and transverse position of the highest point in palatal morphology.

Three-dimensional comparison between the palatal forms in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate with and without Hotz plate from cheiloplasty to palatoplasty

The palatal forms in 20 infants with a complete unilateral cleft lip, and palate (12 with a Hotz palate and 8 without, selected at random) were studied from birth until 18 months of age. Using techniques developed previously, the degree of curvature in the palate and the magnitude of migration of the maxillary segments were measured three-dimensionally. Furthermore, using a newly developed method to approximate a set of the points on the alveolar ridge to a circle in a plane, the form of the alveolar arch was evaluated. Results from the group with a Hotz plate revealed that the plate possesses four effects not seen in the group without a Hotz plate. The size of the palate was larger, and the sagittal gap between the two segments of the maxilla was smaller. These results suggest that the appliance could stimulate the growth of the segments and could prevent collapse of the maxillary arch from the force of lip closure. Third, the steepness of the segments toward the nasal cavity was smaller, possibly occurring because the appliance prevents tongue intrusion into the cleft. Fourth, the magnitude of migration of the lesser segment toward the cleft edge of the major segment was larger. This result suggests that the appliance could guide the growth of the maxillary segments to narrow the cleft width until 18 months of age.

Three-dimensional comparison between the palatal forms in infants with complete unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (UCLP) with and without Hotz's plate

A three-dimensional measuring system was developed to analyze changes in palatal forms of UCLP infants. This system quantified the change of the curved surface on a palate by automatically superimposing two wireframe models obtained from casts at different stages of growth. It also analyzed the curvature of the palatal surface. This system was used to study the palates of 20 infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), from the first to fourth months after birth (12 with Hotz's plate and 8 without, selected at random). Both major and lesser maxillary segments without Hotz's plate remained anterior and lateral although those with Hotz's plate moved mesially during the fourth month after birth. In addition, the degrees of curvature on the palatal surfaces with Hotz's plate were less than those without Hotz's plate.

Three-dimensional comparison between the palatal forms in infants with complete unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (UCLP) with and without Hotz's plate

A three-dimensional measuring system was developed to analyze changes in palatal forms of UCLP infants. This system quantified the change of the curved surface on a palate by automatically superimposing two wireframe models obtained from casts at different stages of growth. It also analyzed the curvature of the palatal surface. This system was used to study the palates of 20 infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), from the first to fourth months after birth (12 with Hotz's plate and 8 without, selected at random). Both major and lesser maxillary segments without Hotz's plate remained anterior and lateral although those with Hotz's plate moved mesially during the fourth month after birth. In addition, the degrees of curvature on the palatal surfaces with Hotz's plate were less than those without Hotz's plate.

Maxillary dental arch affected by different sleep positions in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate infants

The development of the dental arch is well designed for adaptive and compensatory growth. In this study, the relationship between the sleep position and dental arch development was investigated. A group of 42 infants with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate with either prone (16) or supine (26) sleep position were seen in the craniofacial center. All infants were less than 1 month of age at the initial visit. Dental impressions of the maxillary arch were taken at the initial visit and just before cheiloplasty. Ten arch dimensions were measured in each dental cast and the longitudinal change in each dimension was compared between the prone sleep group and the supine sleep group. Statistically significant changes were detected in the growth rate of the following dimensions: intercanine width, intertuberosity width, alveolar cleft width, anterior cleft width, and posterior cleft width. This study indicated that sleep position affected maxillary arch development. Infants sleeping in the prone sleep position tended to have narrower arch width and cleft width.

Morphologic effect of preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics (T-traction) on the maxilla in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

Sixty-eight children born with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate were studied using dental casts taken at ages 0-0.1; 0.2-0.4; and 0.5-0.6 years of age. They were all treated with preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics using an external device (T-traction). The treatment was started after the first model was taken. Dental casts were analyzed regarding the morphology of the cleft region and the maxillary segments before and after treatment. The measurements were compared with measurements on dental casts of nontreated cleft children of similar age. The results suggest that a more normal anatomy of the cleft region occurs during the first 6 months of life whether preoperative maxillofacial orthopedics (T-traction) is used or not. However, this normalized growth seems to occur faster with the T-traction.

Asymmetry of the maxilla in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

Craniofacial asymmetry was analyzed in 31 children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and compared to a group of 24 children with incomplete clefts of the lip (CL). Symmetry was evaluated from 32 variables on posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs. Two types of asymmetry were identified: In the first, there was a positional deviation and a change of arch shape of the maxillary segment on the cleft side. The basal maxillary width was similar in the two groups. At the dentoalveolar level a decrease in width was localized to the cleft side in the UCLP group. Maxillary height of the cleft segment was reduced. The second type was related to the anterior part of the maxilla and the nasal septum. The inferior border of the bony part of the nasal septum deviated towards the cleft side. The anterior nasal spine and the midpoint between the upper central incisors deviated toward the noncleft side, but to a different degree indicating a vertical tilting of the premaxillary region.